Snap-hook.



PATBNTED' MAY 15, 1906.

J. 0. COVERT.

SNAP HOOK. APPLICATION FILED JAN., 5, 1906.

c wuawto z flL/mw 5% WOW @Howmgs UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIoE.

JAMES O. COVERT, OF WATERVLIET, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO COVERT MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF WATERVLIET, NEW YORK, A CORPO- RATION OF NEW YORK.

SNAP-HOOK.

latented. May 15, 1906.

Application filed January 5,1906. Serial No. 294,742.

To all whom, it Wtcty concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES C; COVERT, a citizen'of the United States, residing at Watervliet, in the county of Albany and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Snap Hooks, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to an improvement in snap-hooks, and more particularly in what is known as spring-tongue? snap-hooks. Heretofore snap-hooks of this particular type have in some instances been made with spring-tongues of substantially U shape, and such tongues have been secured in place by bending the inner end to take over a crossbar on the body, the cheeks being bent to overlap the rear of the upper leg of the spring. Such a construction is shown 1n my United States Letters Patent No. 585,085, dated June 22, 1897.

My present invention is designed largely to improve the prior device by simplifying and strengthening the structure.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown a construction embodying the inven tion; but it is to be understood that changes and modifications can be made without departing from the nature and principle of the invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view, Fig. 2 a top view, and Fig. 4 a bottom view, of the cast body part. Fig. 3 is a sectional perspective view of the completed hook. Fig. 5 is a side elevation, Fig. 6 a longitudinal section, and Fig. 7' a bottom view, of a completed hook. Fig. 8 is a cross-section taken on the lines 8 8 of Fig. 7, and Fig. 9 is a cross-section take on the lines 9 9 of Fig. 4.

The casting is fashioned with a View particularly of rendering it easily and economically cast, avoiding the use of removable core-pieces in forming the molds and also avoiding casting uneven and rough inner walls. It consists largely of the loop portion A, the bill or hook portion B, conveniently bent out laterally in a well-known manner, so that the molding pattern can be properly taken from the mold and the intermediate body portion. The body is formed with two parallel spaced-apart sides or checks O 0, each having straight or continouusunbroken inner side walls, an overhanging top wall G a straight back wall O and seator bottom portion C in. advance of the plane of the top and at the end of the shank of the hook B. Between the seat and back is an unobstructed elongated opening D. At the points 0 the cheeks are weakened slightly, as shown in Figs. 1 and 9, the weakened spot being in proximity to the back. The body thus formed has the advantages of perfect casting Without projections or core-pieces and with finished walls, requiring no after treatment,

E designates the spring-tongue, of substantially U shape, its upper arm extending to and below the end of the bill, while its lower arm is preferably flat throughout, its end resting on the seat O", as shown in Fig. 6. The bent or curved part of the spring lies directly under the overhanging or top part C of the body, its rear abutting the rear Wall O In assembling the hook the weakened spots of the cheeks are punched or forced inward to form on the inner walls what I shall term struck-up oppositely-arranged lugs F, as shown in Fig. 8. The forming of these lugs can be accomplished by any suitable device which will serve to force the metal of the cheeks inward. After the lugs have been properly struck up the spring is inserted from below through the elongated unobstructed opening D, the upper arm being placed above the lugs and the two ends occuying their respective positions below the bill and on the seat. The spring is then held in position, the upper surface of the rear part of the lower arm resting against the lugs. By

this means the position of the spring is not changed by the depression of the upper arm, the upper and rear walls serving to protect the bent part, as well as to retain the spring in place. After the spring is properly positioned the sides at the opening are pressed inward slightly to tightly clamp the lower arm of the spring in place against movement. This bending in of the sides is shown in Fig. 7 and is conveniently only between the point where the lugs are and seat C, so that the spring-tongue or upper arm E thereof will be practically free for movement throughout, thus avoiding the danger of breaking. Obviously the top part or portion O can be advanced farther forward, if desired.

It will be noticed by the construction that all teats or lips which require bending over to secure the spring in place and which often break are dispensed with and that the parts can be quickly and with great accuracy assembled. It will also be noticed that the lugs F are placed below the top, a condition which cannot practically be secured by casting the same without the use of removable core-pieces. The position of the lugs also serves to prevent the curved part of the spring moving upward when the tongue is pressed down.

In assembling the parts the spring can be first inserted and the lugs afterward struck up. In this method of assembling the act of striking up the lugs will result in pressing the sides at the opening onto the edges of the spring to hold the latter tightlyin place.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is

1. A spring-tongue snap-hook comprising a body having separated cheeks, an opening in its bottom part, an overhanging top wall, a seat in advance of the opening, a straight back wall, a U-shaped spring between the cheeks and a struck-up lug on a cheek above the lower arm of the spring.

2. A spring-tongue snap-hook comprising a body having separated cheeks, an opening in its bottom part, an overhanging topwall, a seat in advance of the opening, a straight back wall, a U-shaped spring between the cheeks, and struck-up lugs on the cheeks above the lower arm of the spring.

3. A spring-tongue snap-hook comprising a body portion having spaced-apart cheeks, an elongated opening in the bottom, a back part, a top part, inwardly-projecting lugs on the cheeks beneath the top and adjacent the.

back parts, a U-shaped spring having one branch below the lugs and inwardlybent sides engaging the edges of the spring at the opening.

4. A spring-tongue snap-hook comprising abody having separated cheeks, an opening in its bottom part, an overhanging top wall, a seat in advance of the opening, a back wall, a U-shaped spring between the cheeks, and a struck-up lug on a cheek above the lower arm of the spring below the top wall and adjacent the back part. 5. A spring-tongue snap-hook comprising a body having separated cheeks, an opening in its bottom part, an overhanging top wall, a seat in advance of the opening, a straight back. wall, a U-shaped spring between the cheeks, a struck-up lug on a check above the lowerarm of the spring, and inwardly-bent sides at the opening.

6. A casting for spring-tongue snap-hooks consisting of a loop, a bill, and a body formed with separated cheeks having uninterrupted straight inner walls, an elongated opening in the bottom part, a straight back Wall, an overhanging top part, and a seat portion in advance of the opening.

7. A casting for spring-tongue snap-hooks consisting of a loop, a bill and a body having separated cheek parts, a weakened puncture spot on a check part, an elongated opening at the bottom and a back and top wall.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES C. COVERT. Witnesses L. S. BACON, EDWIN S. OLARKsoN. 

